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    Black Pearl Ponte Vedra Beach

    4.2 (47 reviews)
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    Updated 2 months ago

    Black Pearl Ponte Vedra Beach Photos

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    BLACK PEARL PONTE VEDRA BEACH ATMOSPHERE

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    Mushroom dumplings
    Alicia H.

    Black Pearl has beautiful decor but some things fell flat for this price point. I did like that the allergens were clearly noted on the menu and that there were some vegetarian options 1) location is in a strip mall and it's right next door to an enterprise rental car, ick 2) server was not very attentive 3) it was very loud in the dining room so it was rather difficult to understand the server 4) menu changed earlier in the week so what we had planned to order was not available. For such an upscale restaurant you would think their website would be up to date when it rolls out a new menu 5) my cocktail looked like it came in a plastic cup (it was a very thin glass, but again for the price the appearance was unimpressive). Other cocktails had nice glassware and the wine glasses were huge & eye catching 6) my food was ok, nothing earth shattering that I would run back for.

    kiko martini
    Candy K.

    The Black Pearl is a cool place to check out at least once. The food and drinks are both unique, with interesting flavor combos. The main dining room is a little loud, but there is a little quiet speakeasy in the back. Reservations are recommended! We started out in the Speakeasy. The seating was a little awkward as we were seated in two seats at a small table with a couple we didn't know sitting across from us. So, we scooted our chairs to face each other more and shared the table. There are special drinks you can only get in the speakeasy part, and that's where my favorite drink was- the Kiko Martini. My husband tried the Prosciutto Negroni and the Black Pheonix. We had the tuna carpaccio to start. The flavor was great on everything but the portions are very small. I noticed a LOT of people getting the chicken appetizer and for a good reason- it's one of the few filling appetizers they have. I love trying new flavors and drinks, so I enjoyed the experience. The Black Pearl definitely requires an adventurous appetite.

    Black Cod
    JiMmy P.

    Black Pearl is located in a strip mall rather than being a standalone spot, but the interior is beautiful and creates a nice atmosphere. We were seated right away upon arrival and started with some warm bread. For the mains, my wife ordered the spicy lamb pasta with pappardelle, lamb shoulder meat, tomato, edamame, and spinach. Unfortunately, we both agreed that the dish was a bit bland and lacked the flavor we were expecting. I ordered the saikyo black cod. While the fish itself was good, for the price, it felt like it should have included a small side to make the presentation and portion feel more complete. We finished the meal with the panna cotta which we especially enjoyed as a birthday treat. Service throughout the evening was wonderful and definitely one of the highlights of our experience. 3.5 / 5

    Ravindra M.

    We made reservations to try this restaurant on a Thursday evening. It is conveniently located in front of Vedra in a strip mall with plenty of available parking. walked into the restaurant which seemed romantic with dim lighting. The noise level was average and the restaurant was full at 6:30 PM. We were promptly seated. Our waiter was very polite and explain the menu. We decided to try some cocktails, followed by appetizers, including one bread dish with amazing butter. We tried a lamb pasta dish and a seafood pasta dish. Desserts were awesome too. The food was tasty but it was hard for me to categorize to one genre. I'm fitting it into an upscale Japanese Italian hybrid category . I would recommend this restaurant for a date night.

    Sea bass
    Ingrid S.

    Awesome food, beautiful interior, chic environment. Never mind that the restaurant is located in a mini mall. Don't let that deter you either. Walking into the venue is like walking into a chic night club. Service is friendly and quite stellar. I appreciate a knowledgeable waitstaff. Don't be afraid to try something new. I had the chocolate mousse for dessert and decided to add the caviar. No, it's not "fishy"...Bad caviar is fishy. This was like adding sea salt to enhance the chocolate. Delish!!! The chef/staff are brilliant! Can't wait to try the Omakase next!

    Nikki P.

    What an epic experience doing the okamase at black pearl! The food was phenomenal and the drinks were amazing! The staff was so friendly and knowledgeable! Sofia and Concetta are the best! Would definitely recommend

    Main bar ambience before heading back to omakase
    Brenna D.

    5 stars for the Omakase!!! We went during opening week and it was just. Lovely!! Best meal of my life! Absolutely magical experience and an incredible atmosphere!! The dishes were out-of-this-world outstanding, the staff were so wonderful and welcoming, Chef made the evening so fun, and the drinks were delicious too!! I kept giggling after every bite because I couldn't believe how good everything was and wanted to enjoy every moment! Thankful to the team for creating such a unique and memorable experience! Black Pearl's Omakase is absolutely worth it for a special and memorable evening!! We also tried the speakeasy on a separate night and while it is a cute idea it was not as impressive as I would've expected given our first experience with the omakase. We made reservations but when the host brought us back through the secret entrance, I was surprised to see how tiny the space was - a bar with (I believe) 4 bar stools, and then 3 tables...so maybe like 20 people max could fit in here...the host told us to sit anywhere - except there was nowhere to sit...luckily one of the tables was leaving so that ended up being perfect timing, but I'm confused why they would allow reservations for this section of the restaurant if the space doesn't feasibly allow it? And they also encourage everyone inside the restaurant to get a drink in the speakeasy so there's simply not enough room for everyone they try to cram in...hopefully they adjust their reservation situation here! The drink menu was interesting and different and the bartenders were curating a cool experience, I personally didn't love either of my drinks and was overall not having a great time this night but maybe I'll need to give the speakeasy a try again in the future.. We also went for their 100 day celebration and specialty tasting menu which was another lovely experience! We sat in the main dining room this time (under the moon). My partner didn't love all of the dishes on the specialty menu but that just meant more for me! We both appreciated how unique, creative, and curated the menu was! Our server was so wonderful. We chatted with one of the bartenders as well who kindly took our photo- she was such a treat to interact with! All the staff we've interacted with at Black Pearl have been so great! Really excited to see a restaurant in PV being new, fresh, experimental, and bringing something exciting to the area!

    Complimentary champagne
    Sara B.

    Dinner Jan 30, 2026 ~ We dined at Black Pearl during the week their speakeasy opened--just one week after the restaurant's soft opening--and it truly felt like a special experience. We initially tried booking the omakase room/experience, but it was fully booked, so we opted for an early Friday night reservation at 4:30pm, which ended up being perfect. The restaurant was so calm 30 minutes after being open on a weekend night. We loved this. Highly recommend an earlier time slot if you can - it's completely unrushed and nice & quiet. Black Pearl is located in a shopping plaza in Ponte Vedra. Parking was fairly easy at that hour. I could imagine it filling up quickly during peak dinner times on weekend nights, so plan to carpool or circle the lot a few times before finding an available spot. Service from the moment we walked in was excellent--warm, welcoming, and attentive. Before food or drinks even arrived, we were given fresh warm towelettes, which was a nice elevated touch. We started with: Warmed bread ($8) Scallops ($28) Sakura Knees cocktail ($18) Aka Tsuki cocktail ($18) Every cocktail we tried throughout the night was outstanding--creative, smooth, and clearly made with premium ingredients. I would absolutely make the drive just for the cocktails alone. Bonus points for offering mocktails as well for those of you who want a spirit free experience. The bread was warm and delicious, served with an incredible butter that we quickly finished (and were happily given more). The scallops were beautifully plated and packed with flavor, though there are only two per order--something to keep in mind if sharing. One for me, one for my better half. We loved them so much we were hoping for more than just one bite per person. Can't wait to come back and try more. For entrees and dessert, we ordered: Carbonara ($36) Pescatore ($38) Poached Pear ($16) Both pastas were cooked perfectly and well-balanced--not overly sauced, overly cooked or undercooked. The poached pear was a standout dessert: warm, comforting on a cold January night, and beautifully done. It's rare to see pears prepared this way in Jax, and I'd order it again in a heartbeat. What really elevated the evening was the hospitality. The GM and several team members stopped by our table to introduce themselves and check in, which made the experience feel personal and special. Bonus~Since we had an early reservation and there happened to be a last minute cancellation of 4 in the speakeasy , the GM kindly invited us to visit Omotenashi, (their speakeasy) after dinner--such a kind gesture! We were so elated. The speakeasy was the perfect ending to the night. Tucked down the hallway on the right before the restrooms at the end of the hall,, entry involves dialing an antique phone (fun touch!). Drinks there were just as impeccable, with some incorporating chocolate as part of the tasting experience. My better half ordered a drink in the restaurant prior to the speakeasy which came with salted chocolate - this wow'd me so much we politely asked if we could have an extra piece of chocolate and they immediately accommodated. It's those little things that really make the overall experience extra special. Final note: Everything we had was excellent, but portions lean on the smaller side for the price point. Not necessarily a downside--just something to be aware of. I'd recommend not coming super super hungry like we did or just plan to enjoy multiple courses and cocktails to round out the experience. Overall, Black Pearl is worth the try. Make a reservation for both the restaurant and the speakeasy though. If you are making the trip, make it worthwhile and experience both! Signed, sealed, delivered - @hey9oh4

    Janice B.

    Service is impeccable. Everyone was very attentive and helpful. I especially enjoy how quickly they clean off your table as you move on to the next dish or drink. Food was absolutely amazing - melts in your mouth. I highly recommend the tuna carpaccio. The flavors were perfect. The restaurant is gorgeous and elegant - upscale and classy. It is dark but for the right vibes.

    Yellow tail carpaccio appetizer
    Viktoriya M.

    Beautiful place, great service. We loved our appetizers. Yellow tail carpaccio was delicious. Main course grouper was ok, we didn't care for white asparagus.

    Prices
    Alisa P.

    For Mother's Day, we decided to try Black Pearl after hearing it's a new Japanese restaurant and I absolutely love sushi and overall I'd say the experience was very mixed. First off, if you're expecting sushi in the main dining room menu like we were, just know there actually isn't sushi unless you book the Omakase experience separately. Just for reference; the 20 course Omakase is around $260 per person before any sake pairing, and the additional sake pairing is another $100. The ambiance was absolutely beautiful and probably the highlight of the evening. The restaurant itself feels very upscale, dark, moody, and luxurious with gorgeous presentation throughout the meal. Service was good, and every dish came out looking stunning. As for the food, it started strong. The potatoes were honestly one of the best things we ordered they flavorful, and served with a spicy aioli that was delicious. The Hamachi Crudo leaned a little sweet for my taste, but it was still good. The Tuna Carpaccio was probably my favorite dish of the night and definitely something I'd order again with the crispy bread! We also tried the Mother's Day special version of the Nero Mare prawn dish. Normally it's around $60, but the special included an extra prawn and caviar for $50 more, so we figured why not. It was an okay dish, good flavor and fresh fish. My husband ordered the Wagyu Short Rib, and while the meat itself was tender and flavorful, the overall dish was just okay nothing particularly memorable. Dessert was another miss for me personally. The chocolate dessert with matcha and sea salt was decent, but the blood orange sorbet was also extremely salty, which completely threw off the flavor. Overall, I'm glad we tried it once because the atmosphere and presentation were beautiful, but the food didn't really live up to the price for us. I'd maybe come back one day specifically to try the Omakase experience since that seems to be what they're truly known for, but I probably wouldn't return to the regular dining room menu.

    miso seabass
    Lynnea B.

    We started our evening at the speakeasy, which set the tone for a truly memorable experience. After checking in for our reservation at the hostess stand, we were given an entrance code for the phone in the wall. Once entered into the phone, the hidden door popped open revealing an intimate, tucked away space. Inside, there are only about 12 seats and two bartenders, both incredibly talented and clearly passionate about their craft. Every cocktail felt like a performance. My personal favorite was the Kiko martini, their take on a lychee martini, and I also loved the mango rice drink, inspired by mango sticky rice which was creative and perfectly smooth! They offer a small selection of appetizers, and I went with the tuna carpaccio, which was easily one of the best I've ever had. The combination of truffle and tuna was exceptional. The scallop crudo was also very unique (my favorite bites were the ones topped with pickled blackberries), something I had never experienced before but haven't been able to stop thinking about since. After spending a couple of hours enjoying the speakeasy, we made our way to the main dining room. I started with the salmon tartare, which was just as beautifully presented as everything before it, and for my main, I had the miso sea bass which was absolutely delicious. By the end of the meal, I was too full for dessert, but they surprised us with complimentary champagne, which was a thoughtful and elegant touch to end the night. Overall, this was a unique and elevated dining experience, with incredible attention to detail, creativity, and hospitality from start to finish.

    Table bread
    Rachna K.

    We absolutely enjoyed our time at black pearl! It was a great place for a celebration. They gave us complimentary champagne since we mentioned it was our anniversary and dessert on the house. The food was a very creative combination of Italian and Japanese. I loved my miso cod and my boyfriend enjoyed his braised ribs. The cocktails were also very creative and we loved our appetizers, the table bread and tuna carpaccio! We just went and tried their speakeasy as well and it was a very cute and fun vibe! We will definitely be going back for the Omakase!

    Wagyu Short ribs with broccolini

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    Ask the Community - Black Pearl Ponte Vedra Beach

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    I was with a group of friends visiting St. Augustine, FL for a week in June. I had heard of Odd…read moreBirds from a friend who lives in the area and wanted to check out their speakeasy, Charlotte 33. We made a reservation for a Thursday evening and had a wonderful time. Our mixologist was named Talon; he was very friendly and knowledgeable. He started by asking us what we usually like to drink (spirits and flavor profiles). Once we gave him the information he needed, Talon proceeded to make us some amazing cocktails. I absolutely loved mine and could have drank them all night. I tried some of my friends' drinks and they were all excellent as well. We ordered several appetizers to share (guacamole, wings, empanadas, and mojo chicharrones) plus beignets for dessert. Everything was very tasty! Talon came back over to ask us what options we'd like for our second round or drinks, so we all went with something different than the first order. Every cocktail he served us was really good and based on our individual tastes and preferences. I wish I lived in the area because I would go to Odd Birds regularly. The night we were there, they had a secret disco going on in the main dining area which sounded like a fun idea. I loved everything from the drinks, food, and interior decor. The Charlotte 33 Speakeasy area has a pretty atmosphere as well.

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